Contextual Portfolio - Barbara Kruger

I've been interested in the work of Barbara Kruger for many years now as I think that the messages in her work are so powerful and inspiring; she isn't afraid to speak out about important issues. The way she uses colour, type and images together is a strong visual in my opinion and each element compliments each other to create a powerful piece. Below I have analysed a couple of my favourite pieces by Kruger, both are of personal interest to me and my interpretations are as I view them which could be wrong but I believe art is made for the audience to interpret in their own way so that it relates to themselves. 

Your Body Is A Battleground

Barbara Kruger1989

This piece is untitled which suggests that the artist wants the piece to mysterious to the audience as they don’t know what the piece will be about due to the title giving them no insight. The work is made up of two halves of image which is positive and negative and there is also text across the face of the woman.

There are simple colours involved in this work; there are three colours that have been used, black, white (tonal) and red. This makes a big statement to the audience as there is already a big contrast between the two halves due to the black and white; but then there is a big contrast between the black and white and the red. The left side of the image looks like a normal black and white image whereas the right side looks like an x-ray; this relates to the text as the x-ray will show up any injuries from the ‘battleground’. The red makes the text look like it is a warning sign as red can connote danger to the audience; also the red surrounds the text which suggests that the red is causing potential danger to the body which is in white which connotes purity.  The black and white tone makes the image look serious and then the red supports this as it suggests that danger could be ahead if we don’t stop.

The image of the woman is a close up which instantly creates a connection with the audience; the woman looks immaculate in the sense that there isn’t a hair out which suggests that she is trying to impress someone or feels that she needs to look immaculate. The x-ray distorts the way you look at the woman as the x-ray makes you look for a fault as x-rays are usually done to see if there is anything broken or if any damage has occurred; this relates to my theme with the connection of magazines also questioning the looks of women. Therefore the x-ray could be questioning her beauty and is in fact actually.

I like this piece of art as the text is just as powerful as the image which I think is well suited to my theme as the media use text as well as images to create impact on to the public who show interest in to the topic. Sometimes the public are in fact engaged initially through the choice of words they may use. This piece will influence my work due to the fact that the work by Barbara Kruger is part of the feminist culture; my work aims to highlight what the media think about body image and show how the public reflects on what they show/say which then leads them to have distorted views on how you should look.

You are not yourself

Barbara Kruger1984

The piece of art is untitled to the viewer which could suggest that the artist doesn’t want to give too much away about the piece; this could encourage people to want to view it in order to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the artwork. The piece is made up of a broken image with text to support the image.

The colours are basic in this piece as only black and white tones have been used throughout; this could show simplicity to the viewer and doesn’t distract the viewer from the message behind the image. The black and white creates a contrast within the piece; this helps to highlight the text in the piece. The white could connote how the soul of the woman is pure and it contrasts with the black, which connotes power and mystery. This could suggest that the black/darkness is affecting the purity of woman as the glass/mirror has shattered. This suggests that the woman is broken and can’t hold her life together. Another suggestion could be that she has looked in the mirror and doesn’t like her reflection as she sees herself as a fat distorted image of herself.

The image of the woman is quite close up which suggests that the woman is emotional and it also allows for the audience to create a connection with the viewer. The image has been distorted and it has lines in it from the shattered mirror effect; the lines could represent the hurt she has and how she is distorting her own image in order to become more like people/women that you may see in the media. She looks to be crying which shows to the audience that this is an emotional time for the woman and that she is breaking down her walls to show her inner self. The quote ‘you are not yourself’ is quite a powerful quote; it could mean that as she is trying to change herself to look a certain way, which suggest that by her changing herself she is becoming a different person altogether. The piece is interesting due to the powerful image and text that supported it.